This application relates to a flight deck tap off included in a mixer utilized to mix plural airflow sources and supply air to various uses on an aircraft.
Aircraft require conditioned air for any number of purposes. As one example, air must be supplied into a passenger cabin.
Complex machines, known as air cycle machines, take in ambient air and condition that air such that it may be utilized in a passenger cabin. In addition, it is known to recirculate air from the cabin. The airflow from the air cycle machine is mixed with the recycled air in a mixer.
In addition, air must be supplied to the flight deck without any recirculated air. Thus, a so-called tap off taps the unmixed air from the mixer and delivers it to the flight deck or cockpit.
The known tap offs have a generally T-construction with a tap leg, a leg to deliver the air to the flight deck and a leg to receive hot air to mix with the tapped air.
Also, within the tap off, there are diverter plates which are utilized to drive the hot air towards the tap leg to minimize icing. The known tap off has generally been formed with two clamshell halves forming a portion of the top of the T, and three tube portions forming the legs of the T. In addition, diverter plates were simply welded within the structure.
Known tap offs are complex to manufacture and result in a relatively high amount of waste.